


held under captive

by keyungso



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-07-23 06:25:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16153448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keyungso/pseuds/keyungso
Summary: When Keith ran away from his home, he didn't expect running into Altean soldiers searching for slaves. He didn't expect them to bring him to Altea and certainly didn't expect to meet the Altean Prince.





	1. Chapter 1

Keith kept his face unmoving as the prince stopped to gaze at him under thick lashes. He was the closest he'd ever been near the prince. He heard soft sniffs and mumbling of a prayer but he didn't dare glance at the other men and women held in a line beside him. 

Even when the Prince walked closer to him, leaving an unfamiliar woman who pouted at the lack on contact, close enough so that Keith could smell hints of peppermint, he didn't move back like the others. He kept his stance, eyes unmoving.

The prince was pathetic like Keith always thought. Always needing a person sleeping in his bed like a slut. He'd take anyone he found worthy enough; from other princes from Altea's neighbour kingdoms to the dirty slaves. He sniffed, the woman behind wasn't even that beautiful. Sure she had the assets that men found appealing, but he'd seen better.

Keith wasn't a part of Altea. He was a Galra. His kingdom was far far away for here, living in the shadows as the gloomiest, saddest place in the universe. He had escaped there luckily, after a precise planning for 3 years. Tired and dehydrated, he unknowingly stumbled across a group of Altean soldiers taking kingdomless people under their hostage, bringing them back into Altea. 

He didn't despise Alteans like his home country. He treated them like how he treated the rest of the universe. It was the Altean Prince he couldn't stand. 

"A galra?" The prince muttered under his breath, a slow smirk to his lips. "That's interesting." 

He tilted his head back and to the side, gesturing to the guard standing behind him. "Where'd you find this little thing?" 

Keith bit his lips from cursing out loud. He knew the prince wouldn't let a Galra slip away this easily. Let alone him. They were all the same. They talked about peace and equality yet when they never act towards it. It was pathetic. 

"He was half-conscious in the border of Lantica, Your Highness," the guard responded. 

"Hm," the Prince mused, his blue eyes shining in the dark light, "Take him to my room, please." 

Keith grunted when he felt guards holding his tied wrists, pushing him forward. It was now or never. Swiftly, he ducked and turned around, swinging his legs forward and kicking one of the guards in the face. The body fell backwards, barely conscious as nose dripped from the nose. Another second and he had the other guard down on his stomach, unconscious. 

He took a few steps back, wobbily. His eyes darted everywhere, feeling his hearbeat beating against his chest like a clock tick. He noticed the slaves backing away, scared in the consequence of the Prince if they helped him. 

"Don't come near me," Keith stated, voice scratchy from thirst. 

The guards behind the Prince were pulling out their swords, ready to attack but the Prince halted them with a simple hand in the air. 

He felt his heartbeat getting softer and softer and he then realized how long he'd been without proper food and water. The world below him seemed to shift and the last thing he saw was the Prince smirking down at him before he dropped to the ground and then darkness enveloped him. 

Eyes blinked awake, he tried moving up only to be held by strains around his wrists. Head shifting to the side, he took in the massive room. The windows were covered by thick, velvet curtains. Gold wallpapers hugged the room nicely with some photos hanging on it. The floor were covered with thick, golf fur, covering the entire floor. 

Keith was tied onto the bed, back against it. He looked up, eyes squinting from the shining chandelier hanging. Of course it was made out of diamonds. And it the color gold. Keith almost forgot how wealthy the Altean Prince was. 

Speaking of the devil, the door opened and a familiar boy, covered in a long, blue night gown came in, a tray full of food in his arms and eyebrow raising when he saw Keith glaring up at him. 

He placed the tray on the table beside the bed, eyes gleaming with delight. 

"Untie me," Keith ordered. 

The prince just smiled, hands across his chest. "I don't think you're in a position to give orders around here, Kogane." 

"Don't fuck me with, Lance. I know why you want me." 

Lance'e eyes flashed something Keith couldn't pick on, but it vanished. His perfectly white teeth appeared as he smiled wider. "I see you still remember me." 

"How can I forget?" Keith chuckled darkly, "You slaughtered my family." 

"Hm. So I did." 

Keith growled, low in his throat. "Untie me, you fucker. You can fuck me all you want but we both know who's really the fucked up one here." 

Lance leaned me, his robe slipping from his figure, showing a small view of his ripped chest. Keith glared hard at the boy before him, resisting the urge to look. He held his breath when Lance went up close to him. So close that his cheek was against Keith's cheek, lips only a whisper away from his sensitive ears. 

"I didn't say anything about fucking you but it looks like you're asking for it." 

Keith blushed heavily, both angry and disgusted at himself when he felt his manhood hardening slightly. 

"Get the fuck off me." 

Lance laughed and pulled himself back up. "I didn't even touch you yet." 

Keith watched as he fixed his robe and ran a hand through his brown hair.

"But, eat up. You haven't eaten for a whole week. It really is surprising how you manage to stay alive. But you always seem to surprise me. If you can follow that simple order and be a good boy, maybe I'll untie you and we can talk this out like normal beings." 

"Fuck you." 

He didn't respond, only shrugging and untying the hands from the bed and tying them up together. He was quick to dodge away when Keith tried to grab his neck, making a tsk sound. 

Then he slipped back out from the room, clicking the door shut and left the angry boy all to himself. 

Keith ignored the small part in him that was happy he was finally able to meet the Altean Prince again, but he ignored it, choosing to eat the food given to him before he passed out in hunger again. 

He couldn't risk that. Especially when he was trying to kill the King.


	2. two

Keith sat there, hands still tied together, back against the bedpost. He felt a constant itch on his back yet he couldn't do anything about it. It was making him cranky and even more pissed. The plate was clean, on the table. He scanned the room, anything he could use that was near enough to cut the thick ropes. 

But Lance was smart. He must had instructed all the soldiers to clean the room beforehand. His mind burned with the thought of the Altean Prince, smiling down at him with that smug face. 

Keith wondered how Lance's face would look like after he'd kill the Altean King. It strucked a slight guilt in Keith, but he ignored it. It was necessary. It wasn't his plan in the first place, but after what he heard from the solders, he couldn't risk the chance. 

 

"Don't try anything," the guard mumbled under his breath behind him. Keith had been pushed along with 4 other highly armed guards, ordering him to follow them. 

Keith looked away from the window almost immediately, they were too far up anyway. His hands itched to just grab the sword hanging from the soldier's waist and stab it through his stomach. 

"I wasn't planning to escape anyway," he mumbled. 

The guard behind him chuckled before jabbing his spine with the back of his sword, making Keith grunt in pain. "I was also told that you would say that." 

"By who?" 

"The Prince." 

Keith didn't say anything after that. The guards stopped as they reached whenever they needed to take him to. In front of him stood a humongous door, decorated with diamonds and jewels. Keith wondered why no guards had tries to steal one. It wasn't so hard to pluck a few with a small knife and sell them elsewhere, was it? 

When the door opened and he saw Lance sitting on his throne, legs crossed elegantly as his blue robe fell glamorously on the floor, he realizes why none of the diamonds were stolen. 

"It's 4:01," he said, face held up high. His eyes weren't facing the nervous soldiers, gazing off to the ground. 

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," one of the guards bowed, voice firm but Keith saw the way he glanced at his other friends in alarm. "But we had a few..troubles containing the slave." 

Lance huffed, standing up and walking closer to them. His blue eyes were sharp as he glared. "Did I ask you why? I don't care what happens, I don't like tardiness in my soldiers." 

"Or," he signed, "Maybe I don't train you well enough? Is that the reason why you're disobeying me?" 

"N-no, Your Highness. Our training is perfect-"

"Then suck it up and don't be late the next time," Lance cut him off sharply, making the guard look down in submission. "You can drag him out for all I care." 

Keith frowned, not liking that he was being talked about like a piece of meat on display. He was right here. 

"You can fucking try," Keith spat out. If he was a soldier, he knew Lance would waste no time in sending him off to trianing. And by training he meant doing impossible workouts without rest and without water and being whipped at the back until he was cut in two if he failed to finish the task given. 

Those were the rumors, since the soldiers were too scared to tell anyone outside about it. But from the look of their Prince, Keith would bet his life it was true. 

As soon as those words left his cracked lips, Lance whipped his around to him, a smile on his face. 

"Aw, look at that. He's feisty." 

He turned around, flipping his robe back, walking back to his throne. "Chain him up onto a chair or something. I need to speak with him alone." 

Just before the guard could lay his hand on his shoulder, Keith swerved to the side, then flying his leg up in the air to head kick the guard, sending him flying in front. 

He turned to the right, ducking when the other guard stabbed his sword out, missing him by a few inches. He didn't let him even turn his head to meet his blazing gaze. Hands still tied, Keith took him down with two swift kicks on his stomach and his cheek. He quickly threw his tied arms around the guard's neck, pushing him until he stopped struggling in fear. 

Guards were looking at hom, ready to take him down yet were hesitant that Keith would strengthen the grip on the guard's neck. 

Keith was ready to take them one by one. Even only with his legs. His lungs were on fire, ready to burst with excitement. He could feel the ropes starting to slip off did to his sweating. Just a little bit more...

His thoughts blurred when he heard a series of claps from behind him. The claps echoed through the massive room like a constant reminder that whatever Keith did, Lance was always a step forward. 

"Well done, Keith," Lance mused, hands holding his face. "I expected a few minutes before but this is also impressive." 

Keith frowned, hands tightening its grip and making the guard gasp. His eyes were watering, looking at Lance with much plead that it sickened Keith. He could never understand why people liked to trust in others so much. It weakened them. It weakened Keith. 

"What are you waiting for?" Lance grinned like a cat, sharp teeth showing. "Kill him." 

"Please, Your Highness," the guard choked under him, tears becoming sobs. "I have a family." It struck a chord in Keith but he didn't release his grip. He shouldn't care about other people. Just like they never cared for him. 

Lance didn't blink at the miserable display, choosing to look at Keith with those same challenging eyes and he could almost hear him whisper, lips hotly on his ear, "Do it, baby." 

Keith gulped down his doubts, set on his decision. He forced the soft no no no please nos from the guard and instead focused on Lance with a glare. 

He released the guard and dropped down to his knees in defeat. The guard exhaled and cried in relief, and one of the guards quickly stepped in to tend to his wounds. 

Lance snorted quietly, a smile forming on his lips. "Can't do it, can you?" 

Keith didn't answer him, head ducked down even when the guards forced him up with his hair. 

"Now be a good boy and sit down, will you? You're making my guards' job harder."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so.....more?


	3. Three

Keith set his jaw straight, hearing the door shut close. The room became silent once again, tension hanging loosely in the air. 

"What do you want, Lance?" He asked finally, eyes glaring on the floor. 

"You know what I want, Keith," Lance answered from his throne. 

"No," Keith said, lifting his head up to glare at the boy in front of him. "I don't. I never fucking know what you want. So just fucking tell me." 

Lance frowned playfully, leaning back against his chair. "I think you're still forgetting who's in charge around here." 

"You're not King, Lance. Don't get too over your big head." 

"Yet," Lance retorted, "I mean Prince is a really heavy title, considering that you're only a slave, left by your parents who aren't even here anymore. Oops, it slipped."

Keith glared at him with so much hatred in his eyes. His knuckles were turning white in how strong he was clenching his fist. 

"I fucking hate you," Keith spat out, blinking hard to stop the tears from forming. He would rather did than cry in front of this fucker. But it hurt. It hurt him that Lance didn't feel anything close to sorry saying it. Maybe Keith was being delusional, part of him secretly wanted everything to be back to normal when everything was okay. But reality wasn't like that. 

Lance looked at him with an unknown gaze in his eyes before he tore it away. 

"Do you know who I value the most, Keith?" 

"No." 

"It's my sister," Lance said. Keith sat there, trying to block out the voice yet he couldn't help but listen.

"She's been taken. By the Drules." 

Maybe it was his instinct, because Keith opened his mouth to say sorry. He was too late when he realized what he had said out loud. 

"Don't apologize. It was my fault," Lance frowned. 

He stared at him and Keith stared back. It was weird, looking at him while tied up and chained. It brought back memories. 

"I'll be leaving tomorroe to search for her," Lance continued, "Though we all know the Drules would not let anyone in except the Galra royalty line. And there was no way I was going to walk up there and kidnap the Galra King. Not only it was suicide but my father will not he pleased either." 

Keith stared at him. "You want me to accompany you." 

A familiar smile set butterflies to his stomach, making him churn uncomfortably. "I was planning to steal one of the Galras. But you just happen to stumble in front of my doorsteps. Let's call that fate." 

"I still don't know why you think I'm capable of-" 

"Don't give me that bullshit, Kogane," Lance cut him off, rolling his blue eyes. "We both know you were one of the best assassins out there." 

The glare faltered just a bit. Keith couldn't understand why Lance was so keen on taking him with him. Keith wasn't Galra royalty. He was far from that. His parents were peasants, low living farmers who depended on begging. The Drules wouldn't even look at him, let alone let them in their closed off territory. 

Lance must had seen the doubt in his eyes because he clicked his tongue and said, "If you succeed in helping me find my sister, I would set you free." 

Keith frowned at him, "I'm not your property." 

"You are, technically saying," Lance mused, standing up from his throne to walk closer to him. "My guards found you wandering off your territory. You know what happens to people who are too curious for their own good." 

Keith didn't tear his gaze away even when Lance was right in front of him. He was slightly confused why the Prince dared step so closely of him, even when the guards were meters away from them behind thick, sound proof doors. He didn't even look cautious, eyes bright in amusement. But Keith wasn't so sure. The Altean Prince was known for his unpredictable nature. 

Maybe it was there trust he had that Keith wouldn't do anything to him. Or maybe he knew he could stop him if he tried anything. 

Whatever the reason, Keith felt a warm feeling in his chest. 

"What were you doing outside your territory? You of all people should know that." 

Keith looked away, unsure if he should answer him. 

Guess he didn't need to, judging from the knowing smile Lance was showing. "I don't really care for your reason all that much. Whatever it was, you are still my property. I can do whatever I want to you and no one is going to come and save you," Lance said, clearly. He was bending down, face right in front of Keith in mockery.

"Fucking try me," Keith hissed, spitting right on his face. 

It went so fast that he didn't even feel the pain on his cheek as his face turned to the side. His eyes widen in slight shock and when he saw Lance's hand in the air, he realized he had slapped him. 

"Do that again and I'll have my guards cut your tongue and force it down your throat," Lance said sweetly, tongue coming out to take in the saliva that dripped down to his lips. He wiped the others with a napkin afterwards, then throwing it away. 

"Fuck you. I would rather die than help you find your sister," Keith spat out, hate dropping from each word. He hated the man in front of him. He wanted to strangle him. Make him feel what he was feeling. 

Lance smiled again. "I didn't ask for your opinion. Get ready. We'll be leaving early in the morning tomorrow." 

"I'm not going." 

But Lance wasn't listening. He was already walking past him to the door. Keith let out a frustrated growl, head tilting back to see Lance knocking on the door. A few seconds after the door opened from outside and the guards are bowed. 

"Take him to my room and make sure he's chained on the bed." 

"Fucking hell I'm stepping inside that STD shithole!" Keith screamed, gasping out loud when one of the guards whipped his arm with a belt. 

Lance smiled at him, his gaze empty. "Keep hitting him and get me one of the sluts from the cabin." 

"Lance!" Keith groaned, falling onto the floor as another whip hit his back. "Fucking come back here- Ah!" He didn't remember it being this painful. It felt like sharp needles being forcefully stabbed on his back, then pulled out again before being pushed back in. 

It was going to leave a mark, he knew for sure. 

He didn't hold back his scream when the belt came back down again. 

\----

"Why do you keep fighting?" The guard asked him as he was chaining him to the bedpost. 

Keith frowned, eyes tired. He gave one final tug on his wrists then he sighed, finally stopping. "Why shouldn't I?" 

"The Prince treats you differently," the guard murmured, eyes still downcast. Keith looked away, refusing to believe him. He may admit he was been treated better than what he expected, but he doubted Lance treating others worse than this. 

The guard stepped back after he finished, watching Keith with observant eyes. Keith tried to ignore it, looking down at his lap in silence. 

"You may doubt me, but I've serve the Prince for 10 years and believe me, he's never let anyone in his room." 

"You're lying." 

The guard raised his arms in defense, shrugging nonchalantly. "You can believe what you want to believe. And I know you believe me." 

Keith didn't respond after that. He didn't move when the guard gave him a silent warning and when he was left alone with the door locked. 

He looked around. The room was completely different than the previous one. This one had more objects in it, though everything was out of his reach. Everything was in gold, of course, emphasizing the royalty image the Altean's maintain. They were always one of the richest out of the empires. 

He shouldn't be here. He wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be free. 

Maybe he could figure out a way to escape from here. But he doubted he would be able to do it in a night. He sighed, closing his eyes. Right now the only chance of being free was following Lance's orders to save his precious sister. 

It was stupid. They wouldn't stand a chance to the Drules. They had one of the toughest army. They lived by fear and power. Everyone had to go through a certain test to determine if you were fit to survive and consume their natural resources. 

If you weren't strong enough, they kill you right there on the spot. It was Drule culture and tradition made and approved by the King and the king before him and so on. 

Speaking of Kings, Keith realized, where was the King of Altea? Lance never said anything and Keith never seen him sitting on a throne and walking anywhere for that matter. Was he outside Altea? 

Something in his gut told him it had something to do with the mission he was assigned to but he chose to sleep his thoughts away. He could continue being stressed out after a good night sleep. 

When he opened his eyes, darkness greeted him, making him squint his eyes to see the clock hanging on the wall. 3.04 AM. The bed felt warmer than he remembering it being last night and when he turned his head to the side, he knew why. 

The Prince was sleeping soundly on his side, face facing him. A hand tucked under his cheek as he snored lightly. 

Keith stopped the smile that was close to forming and looked away, feeling like he was looking at something he shouldn't. Then he looked hack in curiosity. Why was the Prince sleeping next to him? Wasn't he at least scared that Keith would try something at him? 

He was locked up in chains, sure, but Keith didn't expect Lance to underestimate his capability. From all people, Lance would be the last one on the list. 

Maybe he could strangle him....

"Don't you dare try anything," Lance mumbled in his sleep, shifting slightly before resuming to sleep. 

Keith looked away and stared at the floor instead. He wanted to shower. He smelled of dirt and sweat and it was weeks ago since he had brushed his teeth. His hair was starting to itch from all the accumulated oil stuck to his roots. But he was tied to the bed. And he didn't want to ask Lance for anything; let alone help. 

"Are you going to be difficult if I untie you?" Lance asked him, voice deep with sleep. 

Keith didn't even have the chance to reply before Lance took something from the back of his pants and swiped it against the ropes and before he knew it, his hands were free and the ropes fell on the bed like dead snakes. 

Lance put the small knife inside his pocket, Keith made a mental note of that, and closed his eyes again. "If you try anything I'll make sure you won't be able to sit anymore." 

Keith didn't answer him and stood up to walk towards the bathroom. He shivered when he stepped him, the tiles way cooler than the carpet ground in the room. Everything was gold as well, from the curtains to the bathtub. 

He stripped, stepped inside the bathtub and started the water. It was weird, he thought, watching at the water running. He had never used a bathtub before. It was kind of confusing to him. Why cover yourself in a pool of water that's mixed with the dirt you're trying to wash off? But maybe he was just poor. 

When the water came up to his back, he hissed in pain and flinched. He showed his back to the full size mirror beside the tub and grimaced at the sight of his abused back. 

Red marks covering almost every part, with some brown from drying and some still blood red fresh. One was particularly huge and bruised, sitting almost near his left shoulder. The guard must had hit the spot, accidentally or purposely he wasn't so sure, more than at least five times with stronger power each time. Because Keith could still see blood around it. 

He sat through the pain as he washed all the blood away. All the dirt away. The transparent water quickly turned red when he was thoroughly cleaned. 

Grabbing a towel from the cabinet, he dried himself, careful to just dab lightly on his back. He used his previous clothes, even though it kind of disgusted him. Right on time, he heard the doorknob jiggle. 

"You better be showering in there," he heard Lance's accusing voice through the door. 

He sighed and took one more look in the mirror before unlocking the door, Lance already standing there, arms crossed against his shirtless chest. Keith stared at his biceps and how nice his skin looked in the sunrise light. Then he lifted his gaze to the frowning face.

"Step aside and let me shower," Lance said to him and walked past him. The door behind him closed shut and he heard the soft click of the lock. 

Again, he was baffled at how Lance was treating him. First he let him sleep on the same bed as him, though with hands tied. And second he let him go, untied, to shower alone while he slept. And now, third, he was leaving him unsupervised with hands untied to roam around his room? 

Did he appear that weak in his eyes?

The Prince treats you differently.

Keith frowned in thought. Was he really underestimating him or did the soldier speak the truth?

**Author's Note:**

> idk i just really like this au.


End file.
